Lucas, Kansas
Lucas--population 393. Unlike most towns of this size, Lucas does not give the impression that it is mere decades from being a ghost town. While there are empty buildings in its business district, they are the exception rather than the rule. The town even has an operating movie theater! Lucas might be the smallest town I've personally run across that has such a theater. The three buildings here seem to have been joined into one entity--an art and craft museum (alas, closed when I was there, but in any case, ruled by the travel board as one of the state's "8 Wonders of Kansas" ). That and the "Garden of Eden" are the towns biggest draws. Indeed, the G of E has a bit of renown across the nation. It's a kooky sculpture garden one of Lucas' former residents produced over the course of many years. Personally, I don't think it rises to the level of "Art," but it is interesting, and you have to tip your hat to the sculptor's dedication and perseverance.
This was taken during my mid-February mini-trip to Northcentral Kansas. If you enlarge the photo even a little bit, you can see it's snowing pretty heavily here, which is odd in that I don't recall that. I guess my lobotomy is acting up again. :-)
Incidentally, you can see that striped limestone characteristic of the area here that I've pointed out in numerous other photos I've uploaded.
Lucas, Kansas
Lucas--population 393. Unlike most towns of this size, Lucas does not give the impression that it is mere decades from being a ghost town. While there are empty buildings in its business district, they are the exception rather than the rule. The town even has an operating movie theater! Lucas might be the smallest town I've personally run across that has such a theater. The three buildings here seem to have been joined into one entity--an art and craft museum (alas, closed when I was there, but in any case, ruled by the travel board as one of the state's "8 Wonders of Kansas" ). That and the "Garden of Eden" are the towns biggest draws. Indeed, the G of E has a bit of renown across the nation. It's a kooky sculpture garden one of Lucas' former residents produced over the course of many years. Personally, I don't think it rises to the level of "Art," but it is interesting, and you have to tip your hat to the sculptor's dedication and perseverance.
This was taken during my mid-February mini-trip to Northcentral Kansas. If you enlarge the photo even a little bit, you can see it's snowing pretty heavily here, which is odd in that I don't recall that. I guess my lobotomy is acting up again. :-)
Incidentally, you can see that striped limestone characteristic of the area here that I've pointed out in numerous other photos I've uploaded.